As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option is an information handling system. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements may vary between different applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software resources that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
Information handling systems are often implemented using a printed circuit boards (PCB). A PCB includes interconnected components of the information handling system in a form that is convenient to manufacture, assemble into larger devices and operate. A PCB typically includes several circuit trace levels laminated together with a rigid material. Vias are drilled in the PCB at locations where the traces in different layers overlap, and the vias are then filled with a conductive material. In this way, circuit paths between components on the PCB are created.
Where the traces in a circuit path are on the top and bottom sides of the PCB, the via interconnecting the traces forms a continuous portion of the circuit path. Where one of the traces is in an inner layer of the PCB, a portion of the interconnecting via can form an open circuit stub, which introduces a discontinuity into the circuit path. Discontinuities in a circuit path cause reduced signal integrity at a signal load, and lead to reduced bit error rates and device failures. The problem only becomes worse as the speed of information handling systems increases.
The use of the same reference symbols in different drawings indicates similar or identical items.